Tag Archives: water sports

It’s technically the end of summer in Chicago with the beaches shutting down promptly on Monday night, and CPS going back in session come Tuesday. It’s usually a pretty busy weekend at the Chicago beaches, but here are some water sports to get in before the summer comes to an end!

The Great American Lobster Fest

Info from the website: The Great American Lobster Fest is the Midwest’s largest Lobster and seafood festival. We’re returning for our 3rd year to Chicago’s legendary Navy Pier on Labor Day Weekend! September 2nd and 3rd 2016, summer’s last hurrah! Enjoy live lobster flown in fresh from the cold waters of the East Coast, live music performances, family-friendly games and activities, unique craft shopping, and cold beverages. What’s not to love!?

Not a lobster fan? Not to worry, many other great food options will be available including Steak, Surf & Turf Options, and more!

The Great American Lobster Fest is an all-ages, family friendly event.

Naperville Last Fling

Friday, September 2 – Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 3 – Gates open at 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 4 – Gates open at 2:30 p.m.
Monday, September 5 – Gates open at 2:00 p.m.
Location: Naperville

Sponge, Lit, Everclear, Sugar Ray…and that is just on Sunday!

From the website: The Naperville Jaycees’ Last Fling is a family-friendly community festival which takes place over Labor Day Weekend in and around Downtown Naperville and, for many, is a fun way to say farewell to summer! The Last Fling offers a wide variety of attractions for all ages to enjoy including national and local musicians on two stages, Family Fun Land, a carnival, unique special events, a business expo and a few running events.

Windy City Dub Fest

Windy City Dub Fest® 2016 will be held on Saturday, September 3rd, 2016 from Noon to 6pm CST at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Spectator Tickets and Show Registration are now available for purchase online. More information at the event website.

Traffic Restrictions & Road Projects

Over the Labor Day holiday weekend, 200 local Illinois law enforcement agencies are urging motorists to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

From the Illinois Department of Transportation:

“A high number of fatal traffic crashes on Illinois roads occur late at night, with an unacceptable amount involving drinking and motorists failing to buckle up, especially during the busy holiday travel periods,” said Priscilla Tobias, director of IDOT’s Office of Program Development. “Please, if you are on the road over the Labor Day weekend, drive sober and buckle up.”

Statistics show during last year’s Labor Day weekend (from 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7) 13 people lost their lives in crashes.

Three of those fatalities involved a driver who tested positive for alcohol in their system.

“State police will be out in force with local law enforcement to get drunk drivers off the road during the Labor Day weekend,” said ISP Col. Tad Williams. “Troopers will show zero tolerance for impaired driving and seat belt law violators. Designate a driver before going out, and always buckle up,”

Here are some important safety tips:

– Designate a sober driver before going out and give that person your keys.

– Use your community’s designated driver program.

– If you are with someone who is impaired, do not let them drive.

– If you are impaired: Call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Labor Day crackdown began Monday, Aug. 22, and continues through the early morning hours of Tuesday, Sept. 6. It is administered by IDOT and supported by ISP local law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois.

WISDOT news release: Labor Day enforcement & travel

State Patrol will significantly increase enforcement during Labor Day weekendConstruction on most major highways will be suspended for the holiday The Labor Day holiday period from Friday through Monday has been deadly on Wisconsin roads with an average of eight traffic fatalities during the last five years. Moreover, traffic fatalities so far this year are about 8 percent higher than the same period last year.To prevent deaths and injuries over the Labor Day holiday period, the Wisconsin State Patrol will use all of its available resources for high-visibility traffic safety enforcement to get motorists to buckle up, obey speed limits, drive sober, and eliminate distractions.“Every State Patrol region will be participating in special emphasis details during the upcoming holiday period to increase voluntary compliance with traffic laws, not to write more tickets,” says Lt. Col. J.D. Lind. “We’ve identified times and locations with high crash rates, and we’re concentrating our resources on those targeted areas. Our Air Support Unit pilots will be flying missions to watch for traffic violations especially speeding, tailgating, and aggressive driving. Our commercial motor vehicle inspectors will be focusing on violations of truck safety laws, including speed limits on highway corridors, and will intently monitor traffic traveling near large trucks. Many of our high-visibility patrols throughout the state will be announced in advance on WisDOT Twitter. (@WisconsinDOT, #WisDOT) to motivate motorists to make responsible decisions.”To minimize travel disruptions during the Labor Day weekend, most major highway construction projects will be suspended from about noon on Friday, Sept. 2 until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6. However, drivers may still encounter lane restrictions and traffic delays in highway work zones, according to Beth Cannestra of the WisDOT Bureau of Project Development.“To prevent crashes, drivers must slow down, pay attention and not tailgate when approaching and traveling through work zones. Rear-end collisions caused primarily by speeding, distracted driving and following other vehicles too closely are the most frequent type of crash in work zones,” Cannestra says.

“When you see orange cones, put down your phone,” she says. “To help prevent distracted driving, a new state law taking effect Oct. 1 makes it illegal to talk on a handheld mobile device while driving in a work zone.”

Traffic is expected to be heavy throughout the holiday period especially from about noon until 8 p.m. on both Friday, Sept. 2, and Monday, Sept. 5.

CTA and Public Transit Weekend Alerts

On Sunday, Sep 4, updated schedules will go into effect for several bus routes. Most routes continue to have the same frequency and span of service, but arrival times may change up to a few minutes. For a copy of the new timetable brochure for any route, see the Advance Timetables page or call 1-888-YOUR-CTA.

It’s the last weekend for the #10 Museum of Science & Industry Revised Service Period — this bus only runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Metra – This weekend Metra will offer special early departure schedules for the holiday weekend.

From the Metrarail.com website: Most of these schedules include extra service prior to the regular 5 p.m. start of the rush hour, with the cancellation or modification of some later rush hour train schedules. A summary of the early departure schedules can be found here.

“Summer’s gone by too fast and we want to make it easy to squeeze in as much extra fun as possible this holiday weekend,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “Expanding our $8 Weekend Pass to include Labor Day, plus the fact that kids 11 and under can ride free, make Metra the most affordable choice for Labor Day weekend fun in the city.”

The Chicago Jazz Festival at Millennium Park, fireworks at Navy Pier and the North Coast Music Fest at Union Park are just a few of the many events to enjoy in the city over Labor Day weekend. Metra’s $8 Weekend Pass allows unlimited rides anywhere on our system. The pass, which is normally sold on Saturdays and Sundays, will also be available for travel on the Monday holiday.

On Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5, Metra will operate all services on a Sunday/holiday schedule. Metra SouthWest Service, Heritage Corridor and North Central Service trains will not operate on Labor Day. Alcohol restrictions will also be in effect and no alcohol will be allowed onboard Metra trains after 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1 and Friday, Sept. 2 and all day Saturday, Sept. 3 and Sunday, Sept. 4.